Telephony.



No. 757,826. PATENTED APR. 19, 1904. A. MEINEMA. TELEPHONY.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 16, 1904. H0 MODEL.

7titrwaacxsz'- EL. J fiircutof n4 eri V w 25 ,Zr fz w u UNITED STATESPatented April 19, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

TELEPHONY.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent'No. 757,826, dated April19, 1904.

Application filed January 16, 1904. Serial No. 189,328. (No model.)

To (LZZ whmn it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ALBERT MEINEMA, a'citizen of the United States,residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois,

have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Telephony, ofwhich the following is a full, clear, concise, and exact descrip- "tion,reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of thisspecification.

My invention relates to telephony, and has for its object the provisionof an improved i system of selecting-stations upon party-lines andprovides means whereby the signal-bells at unselected stations are notonly prevented from being rung, but whereby telephones at such stationsare prevented from being cut result being preferably accomplished bothwith regard to the receiver and the transmitter when thetelephone-receiver is removed from its switch-hook.

I will explain my invention more fully by reference to the accompanyingdrawings, in which Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view of the preferredembodiment of my invention. Fig. 2 is a View of a portion of theapparatus shown in Fig. l in another position of adjustment. Fig. 3 is aside elevation of the switch-controlling wheel.

Like parts are indicated by similar characters of reference throughoutthe different figures.

I have indicated in Fig. 1 enough of atelephone-exchange system torender an understanding of my invention clear. In said figure I havedisclosed a party telephone-line extending by its limbs a and b to anexchange, where they terminate in the line-springs of a spring-jack 0,which when unengaged by a plug are in circuit with the 'annunciator d.At the exchange there is illustrated an ordinary connecting-plug 0',whose sleeve is normally in open circuit with a groundedcalling-generator e and Whose tip may be connected with a battery 6 or abattery 0 by the operation of the key 0 or the key a, one pole of eachof these batteries being grounded. The batteries serve to direct currentover the limb f in opposite directions. At each of the substations ofthe party-line a b there is located an electromagnetic apparatus havingtwo magnet-helices ff, which may be organized in a unitary structure. Inthe construction illustrated the magnetic device f f includes apermanent magnet f that serves or tends to magnetize the soft-iron coresof the helices ff to cause the same to present similar poles to theoscillating soft-iron armature f The helices f f are difierentia'llywound and may have such direction with respect to the polarities of thesoft-iron cores and the batteries that when the key 0 is depressed theactuating element g will be moved toward the right, causing the arm byits engagement with one of the pins g to effect a clockwise rotationofthe wheel 9? and an advance of the insulating-block g, carried by thewheel g one step, this wheel being advanced against the force of thehelical spring When the key a is depressed, the key 6 being open, thecurrent through the helices f f is reversed, causing the actuatingelement g to be moved in a reverse direction, whereby the pin g, carriedupon the arm 9, 5 will engage the detent g and remove its nose from thepath of the pins g permitting the spring to restore the wheel g to itsinitial position, this position being defined by means of a fingerengaging a stationary block g. 9 It will be understood that the blocks gupon the different wheels g at the different stations occupy differingdistances fromthe finger g so that no two fingers occupy the samerelative operative positions. It is obvious that while a number ofdepressions of the key a is necessary to set wheels g but one operationof the key a is necessary to release the wheels and permit all of themto be restored to their normal positions In the normal po- I00 sition ofeach wheel the enlargement h of the wheel is placed opposite thecontact-springs Z 79 and the button Z. In this position a bodilytransverse movement of the wheel, which is permitted because themounting of the wheel is capable of reciprocating upon the slide m, willeffect first a closure of the springsvl and is and thereafter theengagement of the spring Z with the button Z. At a calling-station asubscriber removes his receiver, and thereby effects connection of theparts 2' and Z, the said mitter-circuit being closed at 10, as is wellun-' derstood to those skilled in the art.

In Fig. '1 the receiver n is supposed to be on the switch-hook, asindicated in dotted lines. In Fig. 2 the said receiver is removed.

The-operator in selecting a station depresses the suitable key 0 thenumber of times necessary to place the block g into line with the freeends of the springs 2' k and the button Z. The operator does notaccomplish any bodily movement of thewheel g and I therefore make thefinger 9 longer than the finger it, so that said finger g may effectengagement of the parts i is, it being unnecessary for the operator toeffect connection of the partsz' and Z, as this may be done by thecalled subscriber when he removes the telephone from its switch-hook.When the parts 2' and k have been connected by the operator, the key ais depressed to include the operators signal-generator e in circuit withthe limb a, that is now in electrical connection with said parts Z k,the serial contacts q, and the receivingbell 1". When the calledsubscriber responds, the circuit through the signal-bell r is open atcontacts q. The telephone-receiver n is included in bridge of. the limbsa Z) by reason of the closure of the contacts and Z, thetransmitter-circuit being closed, as previously specified. When theswitch-hook is relieved of the weight of the receiver, the helices ffare I thus provide in a very simple form switching apparatus controlledjointly by the operator and subscriber that will permit signaling from acalling-station and the inclusion of the telephone-receiver at callingand called stations in circuit with the telephone-line, will permit theoperation of the signaling-bell at a called station independently of theremaining bells upon the line, and will only permit of the inclusion ofthe telephone-receiver at a calling or called station in circuit withthe telephone-line whereby the function of a secrecy-switch at eachstation of a party-line is performed.

I have shown preferred mechanical constructions and circuitarrangements; but I do not wish to be limited thereto,-as changes mayreadily be made without departing from the spirit of my invention; but,7

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new, and desire to secureby Letters Patent, the following: r

1. In a selective signaling telephone system, the combination with atelephone-line extending to an exchange, of a bodily-movable switch--actuating appliance at a substation of the line controlling thetelephone-circuit, electromagnetic mechanism at the substation foroperating said switch-actuating appliance, switching mechanism at theexchange for operating said electromagnetic mechanism whereby saidswitch-actuating appliance may be set in position to close thetelephone-circuit controlled thereby, and a telephone switch-hook alsocontrolling the said telephone-circuit serving when released to bodilymove said switch-actuating appliance and to complete the closure of thetelephone-circuit, substantially as described.

2. In aselective signaling telephone system, the combination withatelephone-line extending to an exchange, of a bodily-movableswitchactuating appliance at a substation of the line controlling thetelephone-circuit, electromagnetic mechanism at the substation foroperating said switch actuating appliance, switching mechanism at theexchange for operating said electromagnetic mechanism whereby saidswitch-actuating appliance may be set in position to close thetelephone-cir: cuit controlled thereby, a telephone switch: hook alsocontrolling the said telephone-circuit serving when released to bodilymove said switch-actuating appliance and to com-.

plete the closure of the telephone-circuit, a signal=receiver at saidsubstation, and a switch controlling the circuit of the signalereceiverclosed by the aforesaid switch-actuating ap pliance when actuated by theoperator, sub stantially as described,

3; In a selective signaling telephone system, the combination with atelephone-line extending to an exchange, of a bodily-movableswitchactuating appliance at a substation of the telephone-line,electromagnetic mechanism at the substation for operating saidswitch-actuating appliance to close the circuit through the sig- IICnal-receiver at said station, switching apparatus at the exchange foroperating said electromagnetic mechanism, and a telephone-receiverswitch hook serving to engage said switch-actuating appliance to movethe same and thereby effect closure of the telephonecircuit,substantially as described.

4. In a selective signaling telephone system, the combination with atelephone-line extending to an exchange, of a bodily-movableswitchactuating appliance at a substation of the telephone-line,electromagnetic mechanism at the substation for operating saidswitch-actuating appliance, said switch-actuating appliance including arotating member carrying two pins g* it of unequal effective length,circuit-controlling springs or elements is included in thesignal-receiver circuit at said substation and adapted to be closed byone of said pins and a telephone contact element Z, the other of saidpins serving to connect the three contact elements I: and Z,substantially as described.

5. In a selective signaling telephone system, the combination with atelephone-line extending to an eXchange,of a bodily-movableswitchactuating appliance at a substation of the telephone-line,electromagnetic mechanism at the substation for operating saidswitch-actuating appliance, said switch-actuating appliance in-- cludinga rotating member carrying two pins g 72 of unequal length,circuit-controlling elements 2' 712 Z controlling the telephone-receiverand signal-receiver circuits and adapted to be controlled by suchswitch-actuating appliance, partially by the switching mechanism at theexchange to effect closure of the signal-receiving circuit, theswitch-hook serving to effect bodily movement of the said switchac--tuating appliance to effect closure of the telephone-receiver circuit,substantially as described.

6. In a selective signaling telephone system, the combination with atelephone-line extending to an exchange, of a bodily-movableswitchactuating appliance at a substation, electromagnetic mechauism atsaid station for operating said switch-actuating appliance, switchingmechanism at the exchange for operating said electromagnetic mechanism,contact elements controlling the telephone-receiver and signal-receivercircuits at said substation, two of said elements being adapted forengagement through the agency of said switch-actuating appliance whenoperated from the exchange to effect closure of the signal-receivingcircuit, and a switch-hook adapted to effect bodily movement of theswitch-actuating appliance to cause the remaining contact element toclose the telephone-receiver circuit, substantially as described.

In witness whereof I hereunto subscribe my name this 14th day ofJanuary, A. D. 1904:.

ALBERT MEINEMA.

Witnesses:

JOHN M. STEKETEE, CHARLES WATERMAN.

